The 14 year old had surgery at Tallaght Hospital because a bullet had lodged in his leg.

He was also shot in the arm and upper body.

The bullet in his leg was not discovered until a second scan was carried out. There are fears that the artery could be compromised if the bullet is removed.

"The bullet is right beside his femoral artery and the doctors can't remove it or he will lose his leg," said a relative, who did not want to be named.

She also dismissed reports gardai were guarding the family home in Clondalkin, Dublin.

The teenager is under armed garda protection. He was shot when criminal brothers Paul (35) and Kenneth Corbally (32) were murdered by hitmen as they sat in their car on Neilstown Road in Clondalkin.

Gardai last night confirmed that they recovered two handguns -- the suspected murder weapons -- during an examination of a car used in the attack.

The Audi car was discovered burnt out on Newlands Road in the Foxborough area of Lucan shortly after the double murder.

Stolen

Last night they renewed their appeal for information from anyone who was in the Newlands Road area last Monday between 8pm and 8.30pm.

They are also seeking help about the silver Audi A6 which was stolen in Co Carlow on June 8. The correct registration number for the car is 02D2633 but it may have been seen with this number or the false number 00KE13498 between when it was stolen and the murders.

The funeral of the Corbally brothers takes place tomorrow. The brothers, only sons of Paddy and Ann, will be brought to St Matthew's Church, Ballyfermot Upper, for 10am Mass. They will be buried in Esker cemetery, Lucan.

Meanwhile, the 'Star' newspaper yesterday gave an undertaking to the High Court not to identify the teenager.

It came after the mother was granted an injunction to prevent newspapers from naming her son.

Declan Doyle, counsel for the boy's mother, told the court she was seeking the injunction because of threats to his life.

"There is a right to life and there is a clear and real danger to his life," counsel said.